Can't See the Forester for the Trees
by x.Hardys and Horcruxes.x
Summary: Dean spends a little time with his family and learns more than he bargained for. Literati, lots of me writing teenage Clara


**Basically I'm halfway through a completely different story (tentatively titled 'Golfing With the Gilmores') and I'm working on the last few chapters of Yales (It's almost over! My baby!), but this little snippet came to me at work and I couldn't resist. I should probably point out that I have never, ever been a fan of Dean so I might be a little bit harsh, but I haven't made him a homeless person with no teeth so it could be worse. Also I have no idea how old Clara is supposed to be in her appearances so I made her the same age as April. Partly because of laziness, but mostly because I wanted to make them friends/schemers. **

**Disclaimer: Fanfiction is the ultimate cure for writer's block. Don't take it away from me!**

Can't See the Forester for the Trees

His playlist was nearly over, which meant he was only a few minutes from his parents' house. Having missed the last few Thanksgiving Day dinners he was reluctantly returning to Stars Hollow, albeit two days later than the actual day. His parents had insisted he bring the rest of his family, but with Ashleigh declaring that she'd 'kill herself before stepping foot in a brain-dead hick town', Dean was turning up without his wife or their daughter. Little Britney always agreed with her mother, so he left them in Chicago and flew to Hartford.

Figuring he'd look pretty rude showing up without anything, he decided to stop at Doose's for some kind of dessert. To say he was surprised to see it was closed was an understatement. Taylor opened the store every day of the year except Christmas, and he'd open then too if all his staff didn't refuse to work. Shrugging to the empty street he walked towards Luke's, which was definitely a last resort for him. Luke's meant Luke and the various other people in his life. Dean had been told he got married to Lorelai a few years back, but he hadn't heard much else regarding the Gilmores. He knew his parents disliked them due to the 'awful Nardini girl' who was Clara's best friend in high school and an 'awfully bad influence' on his baby sister. They were quite vocal about it until April got into Harvard and Clara barely made it on the waiting list for Washington State, making them revaluate who was influencing who.

Luke's was closed too.

A quick browse through the centre of Stars Hollow showed a similar story. The only stores open sold ceramic unicorns, and he really didn't feel like driving back to Hartford for pie. Wild theories involving alien invasion and zombies played in his mind as he drove up to his former home. He hadn't lived there in over five years, choosing to move back to his native Chicago when he realised there was nothing left for him in the small town anymore. Two months later he met Ashleigh, she got pregnant, and the rest was history. He'd brought his family here only once, when Brit was still a baby. Ashleigh was disgusted by the lack of Wi-Fi and good coffee shops, complaining the entire time about the work she was falling behind on and the meetings she needed to reschedule in order to meet his parents. He promised she never had to return, that he would visit alone, that maybe his parents could visit them instead. It was one of many times he learnt to tread cautiously around his wife and her temper.

"Dean, there you are! We were beginning to worry!" His mother pulled him into a hug as he surveyed the scene. His father was watching sports and Clara was lying on the sofa, headphones in with her face seemingly glued to her phone. This was basically the scene that welcomed him every time he visited, though his sister had apparently recently grown her blonde hair out and added pink streaks. It was weird; he'd never seen her with hair any longer than her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm late; I was trying to buy a pie or something. Do you know why half the stores in town were closed?" He asked the question innocently enough, but his mother paled instantly.

"Closed? No, I haven't got a clue what's going on-"

"They're probably at the wedding." Clara interjected, resurfacing from her own world to contribute to the conversation.

"What wedding?" Dean asked, but his sister was ignoring him again, too absorbed in texting.

"Huh? Oh, Rory's. April's sending me live updates." Dean watched as his mother tried to shush her daughter, as well as making a disapproving noise at April's name. Then it finally clicked.

Rory was getting married.

His Rory. Well, not his really. She hadn't been his in a long time, if she ever had been at all. Visions of the blonde jerk he'd seen her with at her grandparents' party flashed before his eyes. That was years ago, surely she wasn't marrying him? Not that it mattered; she was free to marry whoever she wanted. He was a happily married man and a proud father. Maybe the 'happily married' part was stretching it, but he did enjoy having someone to hold at night. There was a very good chance he didn't know the man at all. Rory wasn't the type of girl to marry her college sweetheart, even If he was exceedingly rich and good looking. No, he was certain he didn't know the man at all.

"Holy shit!"

"Clara!"

"Sorry mom. April's just sent me this pic of the hottest guy. He's your age Dean, so he's pretty old. But god, boiling on the hotness scale!" She went quiet again as dinner was served, but Dean wanted to ask more questions. Who was the groom? Where was the wedding? Why did they invite Taylor and Kirk?

"So does this guy have a name?" He voiced out loud. This could be considered a question for Clara, but really he was just wondering the identity of the mystery man on Rory Gilmore's arm.

"He's Chris, twenty-six and rocking a killer suit. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it makes sense that Jess would have hot friends. He was always a ten on a scale of one to sex."

"Clara!"

"Geez, you're always telling me to be more sociable. So here I am, being sociable, sharing my life with the family. God, mom!"

"Are you okay, honey?" His mother asked him, after obviously trying to keep this news from him. Rory was marrying Jess. Jess and Rory had gotten back together and they were getting married. Married. Having a wedding and getting married. Together.

He'd briefly thought about Jess several times in the last few years. His stern objections when Ashleigh wanted to name their daughter Jessica were clear in his mind, but there were other times. He'd seen advertisements for his books on buses, park benches and in the windows of book stores. Once he'd turned on the TV on and saw him speak about his troubles with converting a novel to a screenplay. There was a very hazy memory of getting drunk and tearing a paperback in half. It was hard to escape Jess Mariano when he was a literary sensation, a personal man who gave few interviews and never spoke about his private life. At least that's what every article Dean had ever read about him said.

His hatred of Jess had mellowed into a general dislike as well what he felt was a shared sense of unhappiness at both of them losing Rory Gilmore. The one thing Jess had shared about his life was a quote that had been spread to almost every article written about him: 'I did fall in love once, when I was younger. I never really managed to shake it off. That's love, kids. It's one giant bout of influenza'. Dean had always read this as bitter, much like he was always bitter, but the new information had brought this into an entirely different light.

He wondered why he was so surprised. Lorelai had married his uncle, so they were bound to meet occasionally. Maybe they even got together at their wedding, though that would be a tired cliché. All his thoughts had directed him towards Blonde Yale Guy, because he fit into her world. The Jess Dean had known did not fit into a world of cocktail parties and charity galas. But he wasn't that Jess anymore. He was successful, a bestselling author and a recipient of many awards. That Jess would fit into both of Rory's worlds perfectly, and Dean had to kick himself for not thinking about that.

"It's just weird, that's all." He said finally, realising that she and Clara were waiting for an answer. His sister must've realised the awkward factor in her stories about the wedding her friend was at, and chose to eat her potatoes instead of comment. Soon dinner returned to normal, and regular conversation resumed. He didn't want his family to think he was dwelling on this more than what was deemed healthy.

* * *

It was stupid, but some part of him needed closure. After taking Clara aside and asking her, he knew she thought he was a little delusional. Still, she complied and here he was, sitting outside a fancy looking building in Hartford which was the home of a wedding reception. For a second he entertained the idea of taking photos and making ridiculous amounts of money from people who had no idea this was even happening. He wondered how they had kept their relationship a secret, then realised that those kinds of thoughts hurt him and stopped it immediately. Tonight he was just a casual observer, nothing more.

As though knowing he was out there, the doors suddenly opened and a flood of people rushed out. He spotted April, who looked like she'd jumped in a bush or something. Paris was there too, arguing animatedly with a tall black man. They were obviously part of the wedding party, as Lane was wearing an identical dress and a blonde man next to them wore the same suit. Finally he spotted the two people he was looking for. Jess looked smug, and gathering by the disgusted look on the blonde man's face had just said something disagreeable. Rory was beaming as she lightly slapped her new husband on the arm, her attempts at telling him off clearly failing due to how happy she was. He had his hand around her waist which she was holding tightly, the very vision of a couple in love as they farewelled their guests.

Dean didn't notice the stinging in his eyes right away, sickly captivated as they entered the freshly painted 'just married' car. He didn't feel his eyes start to water as they kissed passionately, the sound of various catcalls barely reaching his ears. What he did recognise was the small smile that crossed his face as they drove off. This was what he needed. This was closure. He'd lost his chance of closure with Rory with his own stubborn pride, but this moment was it. He'd probably still love her, but it would be with a fond memory of what they used to be. With a slight chuckle and a shake of his head, Dean drove back to his hotel room. It wasn't late in Chicago; he could still call Ashleigh and tell her how much he loved her, and Brit.

Ten years later and he'd lost to Jess again. Though this time, it didn't really feel like losing.

* * *

**So a really different point of view here. The title is sort of the idea that Dean was so preoccupied with thoughts of Rory that he failed to notice how good his life was. I also paired him up with a wife who wouldn't take any of his crap. I don't think he would've chased Rory with such tenacity if all he really wanted was a little housewife. If you're wondering if this story correlates with my Rory/Jess wedding one-shot… you're damn right it does! I've even dropped a couple of hints to future stories here too. Review? **


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